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My 2007 hunting season started off different than I had planned. In New York early archery season always begins on September 27^th. New York gives us the last four days of September to cash in on any unused tags from the previous year. I was left with a buck tag and a bear tag from the 2006 season so I decided to get out early on some public access land a few miles from where I grew up.

 

 

The land I had scouted and planned to hunt on was on a military base that is divided into various areas. This is so the Army can use areas for training and still leave areas open to sportsmen. I had chosen three areas infested with oak trees and scouted them until I had intimate knowledge of the terrain. I knew where the food source was and was planning an early morning ambush on the edge of a thick patch of cover where I expected I may catch a buck slipping into at first light for a morning nap. I had a spot picked between the cover and the oaks for evenings in case my opening morning plan didn’t go as planned.

 

 

My work schedule stopped me from hunting on the 26^th, so the night of September 27^th when I called to obtain my access for the day I was disappointed to find out that the area I was planning to hunt was closed for the day. In fact all of the areas I had scouted were closed. So at around 8pm I had to go to the topo maps to try to come up with a game plan.

 

After going over my list of open areas and studying the maps for several hours, I decided to follow the bottom of a ridge in on one of the open archery only areas, hoping there may be cover on the bottom and oaks up top. So I then went to bed to think about the day to come instead of sleep, and watch my alarm until it was time to get up and go hunting.

 

Before I knew it I found myself standing in the dark on the side of a dirt road. I had my climber strapped to my back and my bow in my left hand. I was in my best camo and as scent free as I get. It was an hour before day light and I was headed into a patch of woods I had never stepped foot in before now. I was breaking several of my own rules. I felt no fear only excitement for the possibilities of what may come.

 

After fighting my way through the thick dark woods for a half hour I realized that I had to of scared every whitetail away in a ten mile radius. Feeling stupid I found a spot that looked to be a little open. Thinking that there was no point in scaring any more critters away, I decided to hook my climber to the tree and climb up fifteen or so feet with the wind in my face. I then sat for a half hour in the dark and surprisingly when daylight started to peak it felt like I had just appeared there and the woods were settled.

 

About ten minutes after light something caught my ear off to my left. It was the soft grunt of a doe. She was calling to her fawn who was about twenty yards in front of her. I was surprised to see action this soon. It was different than hunting the seemingly more cautious deer I was used to in the wood lots I grew up in. The two of them slipped off into the thick like ghost. It left me wondering if they were ever really there. I didn’t wonder long though within twenty minutes I had three more doe walking single file right towards my tree. The deer seemed to be more plentiful here too. I sat for a few more hours before I decided to take a look around. I then climbed down the tree and started off with my equipment strapped to me.

Within a few hundred yards I had found a buck rub and the oaks I was looking for. Finding a spot with acorns covering the ground like late October leaves is like finding a winning lotto ticket to a bow hunter. I climbed twenty feet up one of the oaks in the center of this gold mine. There were runways every where I looked, the wind was the last thing on my mind which is not like me. Within a half hour of studying the terrain, I heard deer behind me. Three more slipped through within thirty yards behind me. I had seen Eight deer on public land before eleven in the morning. This is out of character for northern New York. I decided to find a quiet way out to get lunch and to come back in the afternoon for an evening hunt.

 

Around three o’clock I was back in my oak tree. By four I heard thunder off in the distance. When the lightning stared to flash everywhere around me I climbed out of my lightning rod and stood at the bottom of the tree debating what to do. I had been fooled by these early fall lightning storms before. So I decided to wait it out and sure enough within twenty minutes I was back up in my tree. I had one deer silently pass by me to my right I never saw what it was. At sun set I climbed down and headed towards my truck. It was still light enough to see well but legal hunting hours were over. Between my stand and my truck I jumped several more deer that were passing through an open field. Even though the areas I had scouted were open the next day I decided to return to my oak tree for my next mornings hunt because of the success I had on day one.

 

So here I was again, climbing up a tree I barely knew in the dark. I got settled in fifteen minutes before first light. I was expecting to see deer and lots of them. I had my lunch packed and I wasn’t leaving until I tagged my buck. I sat for three hours before I saw my first squirrel.

 

Around nine o’clock I heard an unusual rustle of oak leaves and brush. Whatever it was it wasn’t wasting any time. Before I knew it I had an Adirondack black bear passing through in the thick slash at thirty five yards. Although I knew I didn’t have a shot something made me stand and draw my bow. I remember thinking how neat it was to see my first bear from a stand, and how it would be nice to arrow one. I don’t know how long I was at full draw for , but it seemed like forever. Just before the bear was out of my sight it turned and headed right towards my tree. When it turned it came through a shooting lane at twenty yards, but too fast for me. It ended up at eleven yards with its nose up against my scent wick that I dipped in trails end 307. The arrow seemed to release itself taking the bear in between the neck and the collar bone, passing through both lungs and the liver. Even with a good shot tracking and recovery were difficult.

After crawling on my hands and knees for several hours looking for any signs of a wounded bear I found my trophy. Not a Pope and young bear by far, but taken fair chase, one on one, and with my compound. One of my hunting goals accomplished, not how I had planned, but it was done. This feet that I once thought I had very low odds of accomplishing was complete. My interest has been sparked and this fall I will attempt to release another arrow on an even bigger black bear.

 

 

 

Hey everyone, looking for some insight. I have a Bushnell trail sentry scouting camera that operates off 4 D cell bateries. My book says it should operate for two weeks but I can't even get one out of it on a set of batteries.  (even if it only takes a few pics)  I'm wondering if any one knows if there is a solar kit that is compatable, or if there is a battery that works better. I have tried all of the top brands.  Any advise will be greatly appriciated!!!
Thanks-Chuck

I have been hunting whitetails in the big woods of Northern New York for about half of my twenty eight years. I started bow hunting at fourteen. I was the first person of my large hunting family to pick up a bow and take advantage of our two week archery season that starts two weeks prior to our gun season. I originally took up bow hunting as a way to scout and spent some alone time in the woods without hearing gunshots off in the distance. It was a very relaxed time, I enjoyed observing whitetails without pressure in their natural environment. Most of all I enjoyed having the woods all to myself, I had the time to observe and decipher deer sign. Even though I still hunt with my rifle as well as with my bow, bow hunting is the foundation for the hunter I am today.

I think all serious bow hunters have an edge over guys that hunt only with firearms. It is not just because of the extra time in the woods, but because of the necessary skills to be a successful bow hunter. First of all, being an ethical bow hunter requires the archer to practice through out the year with their bow. I usually start shooting at least a couple times a week as soon as the snow leaves the ground. This not only makes me a better shot come fall, but it makes me feel like my archery gear is an extension of me. Also staring in spring with my shooting sparks my anticipation for the October first opening day, and this drives me to start scouting and studying my topo maps. All of which help put you on the path to success.

When you rely on getting within thirty yards of a buck to close the deal you have to pay extra attention to all the details. One wrong move and you are all through and all that hard work goes down the tubes. Good bow hunters know that they have to take every possible step to beat a whitetails nose. Every time I see deer from a stand I always take note of how they are traveling vs. wind direction. Deer will rarely take more than a few steps or bounds without the wind in their favor. Setting up with the wind in your favor can be difficult at times, and you might like the “good tree” but I believe that cover is less important than wind direction if you have to choose. A bow hunters extra attention to wind makes him a little sharper when he is out with his gun buddies.

Patience is one of the biggest differences I notice between gun only hunters and guys who bow hunt. Most of the guys I hunt with can only sit in their stand for a couple hours. It seems when deer are laying a little low they feel the need to get up and make something happen. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see on a regular basis. My hunting goals and style make deer drives almost impossible. My goal is for my group to take the largest deer in our area. We try to leave young bucks alone. With the chaos of deer drives it is too hard to judge size on a moving deer. It also may make your bigger bucks hole up in the impenetrable thicket. I think stand hunting gets you better shots at better bucks. Being a stubborn, patient, confident, hunter will pay off. No one knows this as well as the successful bow hunter.

Knowledge of your hunting area and quarry is necessary to be successful in the bow woods. Knowing the biology of a whitetail has helped me to close the deal on quite a few bucks. Not only vitals, but the digestive system of a deer. Knowing what deer feed on in my area throughout the different stages of the season has been very beneficial. Also knowing that the four chambered stomach of deer requires them to be on their feet every few hours has kept me in my stand on many days in less than desirable conditions. These are all things that I perhaps wouldn’t know if my love of bow hunting didn’t drive me to read every article and book on whitetails that crosses my path.

In conclusion the reason I typed these thoughts to share with all of you is to try to make you think about the hunter you are today. There are a lot of great hunters who have never touched a bow. I am sure many of them have a greater knowledge of whitetails than I do. I honestly do believe that bow hunting has made me the solid all around hunter that I am today. There was a time I was “shooting from the hip” in my early hunting career. If I crossed paths with a buck it was by chance. The wind just happened to be right that day, a hot doe dragged that buck out of his normal domain and past my stand, or I just happened into the right place at the right time. I think that my bow hunting experiences and overall passion for successes, have driven me to learn what is necessary to increase my odds of being in the right place at the right time. I think bow hunting has helped me to mature as a hunter a few years before my time.

Hope you enjoyed my thoughts- Chuck

Things I have picked up along the way.

Saftey and ethics are most important to me in the field.
Stay in your stand until it isn't possible to stay another second. then stay a little longer.
Hunt your way into your stands and from. daylight permiting.
You may pull the trigger in November, but nice bucks are killed on August/ September scouting trips.
If I can see a long ways I picked the wrong spot.
On public land hunt the thickest area you can thats where the pressured(Ghost deer) usually are.
I Can kill a target every time at 60 yards with my Bow. But won't consider shooting a step over thirty at a deer.
success= enjoying yourself, making memories, and learning.
You can't expect to harvest a "TV" buck every year under normal conditions.
Read as much as you can about hunting but sort out facts from opinion.
What applies to me in my area may not to you in yours.
Think about what your doing before you do it. Comon sense kills bucks.
Think about next year. Don't take more deer than you need.
I would gladly let a nice buck walk if I knew it would be a youngsters first or an oldtimers last.
I'd rather take a big doe than a small buck.
Enjoy the time in the wood respect the game and land. hope you enjoyed this good luck.